Self-contained visual signal for calling attendants



B. R; BRALOVE SELF-CONTAINED VISUAL SIGNAL FOR CALLING ATTENDANTS Flled May 25, 1947 456772 afd/? 57a Zoy BJ' M4@ lion/ey:

Patented Mar. 29, 1949 SELF-CONTAINED VISUAL SIGNAL FOR CALLING ATTENDAN'ES Bernard R. Bralove, Washington, D. C.

Application May 23, 1947, Serial No. 750,111

Claims. l This invention relates to a visual signal especially adapted for use in night clubs7 cocktail lounges, restaurants Iand similar establishments where table service by waiters or waitresses is provided, to allord a means whereby the patrons may readily attract the attention of a waiter or lwaitress and which will also provide a means `capable of being watched by table attendants to insure prompt service and yet obviate the need for frequently stopping at the table to inquirev if additional service is desired.

More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a self contained electrically energized visual signal adapted to be disposed upon each table and which may be readily operated by a patron for energizing an illuminating Y means thereof and which will remain illuminated until a waiter or waitress stops at the table to receive an order and to cle-energize the signal.

Still a further object of the invention is to pro-'it vide a readily portable self contained electric signal of durable construction, attractive appearance, which is sufliciently small so that it will yet will not produce light rays which will be'` obnoxious to the patrons of a tabl'J on which the device is disposed and which Will expend only a very small Aamount of electric current when energized so that a conventional dry cell battery may be utilized as the source of electric current thereof and will last for a considerable period of time before requiring replacement.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof, 'and wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view, partly .in

, side elevation. taken substantially .along a plane -as indicated by the line l-l of Figure 4;

Figure 2 is a top plan'view, partly in horizontal section of the device;

yFigure 3 isa bottom plan view thereofshowing theinterior of the base of theeouter, :section and with the removable inner .section detached;

- Figure ll is a vertical sectional'view taken substantially along a plane as indicated bythe line L -l of Figure 2;

l Figure 5 is a perspective View of the inner, removable section of the signal, and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the assembled device.

Referring more specically to the drawing, the visual signal in its entirety and constituting the invention is designated generally l and includes an outer section or housing, designated generally t, and a removable inner section or core, designated generally 9.

The outer section or housing 8 comprises a relatively thick substantially flat base lil the under side of which is recessed at ll. A conventional push button type switch, designated generally l2, is disposed in a portion of the recessed under side il of the base l and has securing means t3 extending through an opening Hl in the upper portion of the base lil for detach ably fastening the switch l2 in the recess Il. A push type operating stem l5 extends reciprocally through the securing means i3 and is disposed above a portion of the base lll and in a position to be readily Convenient for actuating said switch. The switch l2 isof the type that alternately closes and opens a circuit therethrough when the stem l5 is manually depressed and is provided with suitable means for returning the stem to an elevated position. Obviously, as will hereinafter become apparent, any other suitable type of electric switch, such as a conventional snap switch, could be substituted for the switch l2. As best seen in Figures 1 and 3, the switch l2 is provided with two electric conductors lll and Il which extend from opposite sides thereof and which are fastened at their remote ends to screws I8 and i9, respectively, which extend into the base l0 from the recessed side ll thereof and which also form anchoring means for a pair of leaf springs ZPB and El, respectively, which arethereby ranchored at their adjacent ends to the base It and in the recess ll. The leaf springs 2Q and 2| are provided with downwardly olset outer ends which are resiliently disposed in the recess ll, fora purpose which will hereinafter become apparent and the fastenings E8 and I9 also function to provide an electrical connection between the spring members 2li and 2l and the conductors H3 and l1,

respectively.

A hollow column or post 22 is suitably secured to and rises from the upper surface of the base 'lll and said base isl provided with anl opening 123;.'- asaseen inl Figurel Sfwhichy communicates 3 With the bore of the column 22 and which has substantially the same cross sectional size and shape as the cross sectional size and shape of said bore.

A translucent head or dome, designated generally 24, is xedly mounted on the upper end of the column 22 and includes a ring or annulus 25 which is xedly secured at its bottom edge to the upper edge of the column 22 and which provides a support for a superimposed plate 26 which is xedly disposed thereon and which is provided with downwardly and inwardly rolled ends 2l and depending sides 28. A plurality, preferably two, superposed, stepped blocks 29 and 30 are superimposed upon the plate 26 and suitably secured thereto and to one another and combine with the parts 25 and 26 to complete the dome or head 24, and all of which parts are formed of a translucent material.

The inner section or core 9, as best illustrated in Figure 5, includes a substantially flat base 3l having a hollow column or post 32 secured thereto and rising therefrom and which is preferably substantially disposed with respect to the base 3|. The base 3! is provided with tWo detachable fastenings 33 and 34 which rise from the upper side thereof and which are longitudinally spaced relatively to one another adjacent one edge of the base 3l. The fastenings 33 and 34 are connected to complementary ends of electrical conductors 35 and 3G, respectively, which extend therefrom along portions of the upper side of the base 3l and into the lower end of the post or column 32 through an opening 31 thereof.

As best seen in Figures l and Il, the column 32 is provided with an elevated bottom 38 which forms a support for an expansion coil spring 39 which rests on and rises from the upper side thereof and which is formed of an electrical conducting material. The conductor 35 extends upwardly through an opening 48 in the bottom 38 and is electrically connected at its opposite end to the spring 39 and the electrical conductor 36 extends upwardly through another opening 4l of the base 38 and is connected at its opposite, upper end to a nut and bolt fastening 42 which extends downwardly from a portion of the upper edge of the column 32 into an opening 43 of one of the side walls of the column and said last mentioned end of the conductor 35 is secured to the fastening 42 in said opening 43. The shank of the fastening 42 also extends loosely through an opening 44 of a plate 45 which is attached thereby to the upper end of the post 42 for swinging movement relatively thereto from its full line to its dotted line position of Figure and in a plane substantially at a right angle to the axis of the post 42. One side or" the post 32 is provided with an extension 45 having an inwardly opening groove 41 to receive one side edge of the plate 45 and which functions as a stop for limiting the swinging movement of the plate 45 in one direction and for positioning said plate over the open upper end of the post or column 32. The plate 45 is provided with a threaded opening 43 to receive the threaded base o a conventional lamp bulb 49 which is detachably mounted therein with the bulb portion extending upwardly and said plate 45 is formed of an electrical conducting material to function as a lamp socket.

A conventional dry cell battery or self contained source of electric current 5D is removably mounted in the upper portion of the column 32 and is yeldably supported by the spring 39 so that one contact thereof will engage the base contact of the lamp bulb 49 and while the other, base contact of the battery 50 will be in electrical contact with the spring 39. The socket plate 45 and the fastening 42 will provide an electrical connection between the conductor wire 36 and the theaded shell of the base of the bulb 49.

As seen in Figure 3, the base i8 is provided with threaded recesses or bores 5i opening into the recessed under side li thereof and which are adapted to register with openings 52 of the base 3l for receiving screw fastenings 53 for detachably fastening the inner section or core 9 in a nested position within the outer section or housing 8 and with the base 3i nested in the recess Il. When the base 3l is thus disposed, the contact posts 33 and 34 will bear against the downwardly offset resilient outer ends of the conductor strips 20 and 2i, respectively, to thereby provide an electrical connection between the conductors I5 and 35 and the conductors i'l and 36.

Accordingly, assuming the switch l2 to be in an open position, by depressing the stem i5 for bridging contacts, not shown, within the switch l2 for completing an electric connection between the conductors I6 and l1, a circuit including the lamp bulb 49 and battery 5|] will be closed for energizing said lamp bulb. This circuit will extend from the battery 5l) through the bulb 49, socket plate 45, fastening 42, conductor wire 36, post 34, and conductor strip 2i to the conductor Il; thence through the switch I2, conductor I6, conductor strip 20 and post 33 to the conductor wire 35 and through the conductor spring 39 back to the bas-e or negative contact of the battery 50. Similarly, when the stem I5 is again depressed to interrupt the circuit through the switch l 2, it will be readily obvious that the electric circuit including the battery and lamp bulb will be interrupted at this point.

As best illustrated in Figures 1 and 4, when the inner section or the core 9 is secured in the nested position within the outer section or housing 8, the column 32 will extend substantially to the upper end of the column 22 so that the lamp bulb will be disposed in the ring 25 and with the globe of the bulb disposed substantially entirely above the columns 22 and 32 so that light rays therefrom will extend in all directions within the dome 24 for illuminating all portions thereof to substantially a uniform extent.

It will be readily apparent that a worn out lamp bulb or battery can be readily removed or replaced by the simple expedient of removing the two fastenings 53 and withdrawing the inner section 9 from the outer section 8, and to facilitate removal of the battery 59, another side of the upper end of the column 32 is provided with a recess 54 through which a finger can be inserted for depressing the battery 59 against the spring 39 to permit the socket 45 carrying the lamp bulb 49 to be readily swung to its dotted line position of Figure 5 to expose the upper end of the column 32 so that the battery 50 can be removed and replaced. To permit the socket plate 45 to swing to an open position with the bulb 49 applied thereto, the side of the column 92 opposite to that provided with the extension 4E has a recessed upper end 55 to permit passage therethrough of the depending portion of the lamp bulb base.

The bases and columns of the outer and inner sections 8 and 9 and the dome 24 may be formed of any suitable electrical insulating material, preferably a plastic.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims, as only a presently preferred embodiment has been illustrated and described.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a visual signal of the character described, `a base, a hollow column rising therefrom, a translucent dome mounted on the upper end of said column, illuminating means supported in the column and extending into said dome, a self contained source of electric current contained within said column and connected to the illuminating means, a manually actuated switch supported by the base and interposed in the circuit of the light source and current source for making and breaking the circuit therebetween, said dome comprising a relatively wide translucent ring supported on the upper end of the column and in which said illuminating means or light source is adapted to be disposed, a translucent plate superposed on said ring and having depending sides and ends spaced therefrom and substantially surrounding the ring, and a plurality of superposed, stepped translucent blocks supported on the upper side of said translucent plate.

2. In a self contained visual signal of the character described, an outer housing section including a recessed base and a hollow column rising therefrom and provided with a translucent dome on the upper end thereof, an inner section including a base detachably contained in the base of the outer section and having an upstanding column detachably nested in the column of said outer section, a self contained source of electric current detachably and resiliently supported within said inner column, an electrically energized illuminating means removably supported on the upper end of said inner column in electrical contact with said current source and extending into said dome, and switch means for making or breaking an electric circuit between the illuminating means and current source, said inner column having an open upper end, a plate formed of electrical conducting material swingably connected to the upper end of said inner column and having means for detachably supporting the illuminating means and forming a light socket therefor and a retaining means for the yieldably supported source of electric current, and said plate being swingable to a position for exposing the upper end of the inner column for removing and replacing said current source.

3. In a self contained visual signal of the character described, an outer housing section including a recessed base and a hollow column rising therefrom and provided with a translucent dome on the upper end thereof, an inner section including a base detachably contained in the base of the outer section and having an upstanding column detachably nested in the column of said outer section, a self contained source of electric current detachably and resiliently supported within said inner column, an electrically energized illuminating means removably supported on the upper end of said inner column in electrical contact with said current source and extending into said dome, and switch means for making or breaking an electric circuit between the illuminating means and current source, said inner column having an open upper end, a plate formed of electrical conducting material swingably connected to the upper end of said inner column and having means for detachably supporting the illuminating means and forming a light socket therefor and a retaining means for the yieldably supported source of electric current, said plate being swingable to a position for exposing the upper end of the inner column for removing and replacing said current source, and said column having a recess in the side thereof affording access to said current source to permit the depressing thereof to permit said plate to be swung freely to said last mentioned position.

4. In a self contained, electrically energized visual signal, a hollow column, a dry cell battery, means for detachably and resiliently supporting said dry cell battery in said column, a socket plate swingably supported on one end of said column for detachably retaining the battery therein, a lamp bulb detachably mounted by said plate and supported thereby for electrical contact with the battery, a housing in which said column is detachably nested and having a translucent dome into which the lamp bulb extends for illuminating the dome when the bulb is energized, and switch means carried by the housing and connected to the circuit of the lamp bulb and battery for energizing and de-energizing the bulb.

5. In a visual signal, a translucent dome adapted to be mounted on the upper end of a column of the signal and including a relatively wide translucent ring supported on the upper end of the column and into which the illuminating means or light source of the signal is adapted to extend, a translucent plate superposed on said ring and having depending sides and ends spaced therefrom and substantially surrounding the ring, and a plurality of superposed, stepped translucent blocks supported on the upper side of said translucent plate.

BERNARD R. BRALOVE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,149,933 Martzolf Aug. 10, 1915 2,090,293 Haines Aug. 17, 1937 2,366,929 Pfeil Jan. 9. 1945 

